If you are stressed, you get fat...

Between busy work schedule and family life, you are diligently working out 4 times a week; running, weight training, and of course, 15 minutes of abdominal workout. You still have a flab around your lower abdomen, and wondering what else can you do. Maybe you finally need to go to a lipo suction? But wait! A recent study done by Yale University scientists* shows that you may not need to go to a painful operation but you may just need to relax in a bubble bath.

Elissa S. Epel, Ph.D at Yale University Psychology department found that stress stimulates cortisol reactivity, a hormone that control fat deposit, and results in accumulation of abdominal fat even among women with normal body weight.

Although you still need to eat healthy food moderately and move your body regularly, if you already have a healthy life style, you may want to integrate relaxation into your daily life. It does not take too much of your work time or family life.

Regularity in your life. If you wake up at same time and go to bed at same time, your brain gets used to a pattern and less stressed. It is a kind of an auto pilot.

Change your life pattern regularly. Well this is the opposite of what I just said, but you need some stresses in your life so that your body is ready for a real stress. It is the same as running, If you are running regularly you won't have any problem when you need to catch a plane which is leaving a terminal in 5 min, but you may get a heart attack if you are not working out regularly.

Make a plan for the day before starting the day. If you know what you need to do ahead, you get less stressed. You read the book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", didn't you?

Have fun at least once a week. I recommend everyday. You can find fun in anything; you can enjoy trying a new cup of tea every week, watching the sky and imagining a new thing from the shape of a cloud, listening to the sound of rain. Just have a good time.

Don't hold back when you feel something is not right. Say it. I am not saying that you should explode every time that someone does or does not do things right, but you can say it in a way you are at the position of neutral. It may not be easy but better than holding back.

Deep breathing. Your breath is shallow when you are stressed. Practice regularly deep breathing throughout the day. Eventually, it will become an unconscious practice and you do not need to pay any attention. Make sure that you are using abdominal muscle to breathe.

Stretch several times a day. Your neck and shoulders are always gotten tight if you are working at offices, or driving a car all day long. Gently stretch your neck and shoulders several times a day. In fact, it is a good idea to do deep breathing and stretching every hour. Set a timer if you need.

Eat healthy food, have a great work out------ have a healthy life style.

Although an occasional drink of coffee (say a few cups every month) actually stimulate your metabolism, too much coffee stresses your body by over stimulation. You can still drink a cup or two a day, but take herb teas from a third cup. Alcohol is a stimulant. It is recommended to limit three servings a week for women. By the way, you know that tabacco and any other drugs are not good for you, right?

Take a 15 minutes of quiet time, preferably at the end of the day. Think about what was great for the day.

Even if you are in a good shape, it is still nice to relax. So Just do it and have fun!

* Original study is published in: September/October 2001 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine
Back to The Article Page
tisobe@seikin.com